Swift as Death
by mlw217
Summary: She looked longingly across the long, dark room. Her eyes pleaded for help and she let her head drop to her chest. NEW UPDATE! CHAPTER 18 UP!
1. Chapter 1

Swift as Death

She looked longingly across the long, dark room. Her eyes pleaded for help and she let her head drop to her chest. Tears sprang quickly to her eyes and she picked her hand up to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. These tears were like knives piercing her side each time it dropped on her shirt. Everything around her seemed meaningless and the air was closing in on her lungs. Her chest was constricting and she fought for oxygen. All of the emotions came out in the form of tears. She held the bottle in her cold, white hands. The clear liquid sloshed against the hard sides of the container.

Her bloodshot eyes examined the liquor. She took a rattling gasp and let out a short breath of air. Seconds ticked by and each moment seemed as if it would never end. She didn't want to be conscious. She wanted to be in a state where she didn't think or feel anything. Her hands shook violently around the glass bottle and she shut her eyes tight. Pain tore at her chest and she closed her hand tightly on the bottle. Dry, broken sobs came from deep in her soul and tears streamed form her eyes. She took the bottle and put her lips to the glass.

She screamed out in pain and clutched at her chest. She took another look at the glass and threw the bottle at the wall, where it shattered into a million little pieces. The liquid spilled all over the floor and it spread through the carpet. She fell to her knees and cried. How could this have happened. She had her sister in her arms and watched her suffer and die. She watched as the last light in her eyes died out and the last tear ran from her dead eyes. She held her sister's hand and put pressure to her wound, trying to yell for help. She had told her sister to not give up and to hold on. No one came to help them. No one came and her sister died.


	2. Chapter 2

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias..._

The dark room smelled of alcohol and all you could hear were small sobs coming from a figure huddled in the floor. Sydney had her head down to her knees and she squeezed her head tight as if doing so would change what had happened. She brought her head off of her knees and tears streamed out of her bloodshot eyes. Glass was scattered on the carpet and she picked one shard up. A small light filtered through the curtain that hung lightly on the window. A reflection of the light showed in the small piece of glass. She lifted her head up to the ceiling. She was cut off from the rest of the world. No one could understand her pain. The world didn't stop to mourn her sister. The world just went on the way it had always done... Not her world. Sydney's world had stopped the moment the light drained from her little sister's eyes. Everything had frozen and nothing could break her stare. She stared intensely into her sister's eyes as if it would bring some life back into them.

Sydney remembered that day like it was happening right then in that moment. That morning, they were told that they had to go on a mission. Sloane had assigned Sydney and Nadia on point. Jack, Vaughn, and Weiss were backup. As usual, Marshal invented gadgets to help them on their many endeavors. They were put on a plane to go to Moscow. Syd and Nadia had to retrieve an important file. The file contained many pages of vital information regarding Rambaldi and the countless artifacts. The file was heavily guarded in a well secured warehouse. It was a very dangerous mission. They had gone through worse, but the slightest mistake would cost one of them their life. Sydney and Nadia knew that they were risking their lives, but didn't they do that every week at the very least? "Sydney, good luck." Vaughn stared into Sydney's eyes and gathered her into a firm hug. Vaughn always worried about her when she went on a mission without him by her side. Sydney went to say goodbye to her father and Nadia to Weiss.

Tears came to her eyes as she pictured Nadia again. They were ready to infiltrate the building and Sydney and Nadia had to figure out a way to get in undetected. They came to a room where there were huge numbers written on the silver, metallic door. The number 47 was there. Sydney broke the code on the door with a device that Marshal made for them. The entrance clicked open and they went to the middle of the room. There were many file cabinets in the room. In fact, the room was filled with them. Sydney's brows drew together and her eyes narrowed in recognition. She saw a file cabinet that had the number 47 on it. Kind of obvious. When they had broken the code on the cabinet, they were getting out of there. The file was old and crinkled, but the plastic around it was preserving it and protecting the delicate pages from nature.

Nadia's brown eyes brightened when she saw the pages. She put the file into her bag and patted it, satisfied. As she went to the door, she stopped suddenly. "Syd...Why haven't we gone across any guards?" The question lingered in the air and Sydney pondered it for a second. "Let's get out of here before they decide to come back." Nadia nodded and they set off to get the heck out of there. As they got to the exit, Sydney heard a faint scratching sound. "Run!" Nadia said as she saw two men coming out armed with machine guns. They ran out to their hide out and shots scattered through the night sky. Sydney heard a scream from behind her and she glanced back. Nadia was on the ground. She had been shot.

_Thank you to SecretsBeneathMySoul for your review! Reviews help me go on with my story. Keep the reviews coming! --soccergirlmich--_


	3. Chapter 3

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...lol_

Warm tears streamed down Nadia's face as she forced herself to suck in a breath of air. Sydney drug her little sister frantically and carefully away from the shooting. She ducked into a closet of some sort and slammed the door shut. She locked the door and ran to her sister's side. Sydney's eyes held tears that threatened to spill and she lifted Nadia's head and put it on her lap. "Nadia...hold on, okay?" Sydney said as her voice shook to an almost unrecognizable murmur. Nadia's jaw trembled and breathing was becoming more difficult by the second. Putting her hand to her ear, Sydney said, "Boy scout...we need a extraction now! Evergreen has been hit." She struggled with the words and the realization set in. Her little sister had been hit. Shot.

Sydney herself had been shot before, but not where it would have killed her. If her and Nadia got out of this, Nadia would be in critical condition at the very least. Sydney was hysterical as she dug into her bag for some kind of cloth. She found one and held it firmly to her sisters wound. Warm, deep red blood seeped from under the cloth and Sydney cried out. "Boy Scout...somebody...help!" She screamed with all she had and still she got no response. "Shhhhh...you're ok. You'll be ok." She was reassuring Nadia, but she didn't believe a word she said. Sydney had just recently found Nadia. It was too soon for her to leave. Nadia breathed in a breath of oxygen and let it out fast. "Syd." Nadia whispered while trying her hardest to breath. "I don't...I ...I don't want to die." She said in between short breaths.

Nadia's chest hurt with the effort of trying to breath. She could feel the blood slowly draining from her body. Her face was porcelain-white and she grasped her big sister's hand. Sydney was sobbing and trying to tell Nadia to hold on. "Don't leave me." Sydney told her. BANG! Someone wanted in the door. Sydney heard a voice, but ignored it. "Come on Nadia...you can do it." There was some kind of beeping coming from outside of the door. Boom! The door was blown open by some kind of explosive device.

There, standing in the smoke was someone Sydney or Nadia had never expected to see...

Thank you for your reviews! I know this is a short chapter...but I will try to make the next one longer...Please R&R!!! --soccergirlmich--


	4. Chapter 4

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias..._

Sydney cried as she remembered. There, standing in the blown up doorway, was none other than... Irina Derevko. Sydney's eyes widened when she saw her mother. Nadia's head turned slightly to the side and her eyes narrowed. Sydney was distracted by what was in her mother's hand. Irina was holding a gun that was idly pointing at the ground.

"Mom?" Sydney asked, slightly afraid of her mother's response.

"Sydney...what are you doing here?" She seemed angry with her.

"Why are you here Sydney?" Sydney didn't know what to say.

"We are on a mission. Mom, Nadia has been shot. Help me." Irina's attention shifted slightly to her youngest daughter and something in her eyes faltered. "Mom...are you going to help?" Irina looked down and narrowed her eyes to the floor.

"Mom..." Nadia called from the ground. Her voice was strained and weakened with blood loss. Irina shut her eyes tight as if she was struggling with an important decision to make. She took the bridge of her nose in between her thumb and pointer finger and massaged her eyes.

"Why did you have to come? This is too hard. If you would have stayed away, I wouldn't have to do this."

Sydney jerked her head and drew her brows together. "What do you mean mom?"

"This is your fault I have to do this." Irina looked down at her gun and pulled it up and stared at it. "I am truly sorry..."

It was in slow motion, like in the movies. Irina looked longingly at her two daughters and then her expression changed. One moment it was sort of pleasant, and then it turned bitter and menacing. She looked at her gun one more time and pointed it at her daughter.

She pointed it and fired. Irina Derevko shot her youngest daughter.

_Thanx for the reviews!! I am trying to update before school starts up again...I might not get to update very much...Thank you, once again to SecretsBeneathMySoul for your suggestions! They helped a lot... Keep the reviews coming! --soccergirlmich--_


	5. Chapter 5

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not know Alias..._

"Noooooo!" Sydney screamed as she saw the scene before her. Her eyes widened and she stared, horrified at her what her "mother" had done. She couldn't even believe what she was seeing. Her little sister's blood was on her face and clothes. Tears ran from her eyes and she let her head drop.

"Why did you do that?" She sobbed while she tried to get her question out. Irina looked at her eldest daughter and put her head down in mock shame.

"I did what I had to do. She was dead anyways...I ended her suffering. It was a choice that I had to make." Irina's eyes were confident and she did not falter. Her head twisted to the side and her forehead shined with sweat.

"How could you kill your own daughter...I can't even imagine..." Sydney stopped and couldn't go on. "How..." She stopped again.

"I am doing what I am told. I was told to take no prisoners and to kill anyone I came by. I should kill you right now." Something in Irina's eyes wavered, but as quickly as it appeared it was gone. Sydney saw the weakness in Irina's eyes and went with it.

"Then just kill me then. You killed my little sister so you might as well kill me too." Sydney stood up unarmed and raised her arms so that Irina would see that she wasn't going to put up a fight. "What are you waiting for "mom". Kill me. Shoot me right now...I'm not putting up any fight." Sydney was getting really angry and she was being slightly reckless. She didn't care what happened to her now.

Irina's brows drew together in confusion and she swallowed, obviously uncomfortable. She looked as if she didn't know how to react to her daughter's words. "I can't." She whispered this, almost to herself. It was Syd's turn to be surprised.

"Why? You killed Nadia...why not me?" Sydney was very intrigued to hear Irina's response.

"I just can't..." Irina's expression went blank and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth and red blood poured out. She had been stabbed.

_Sorry for another short chapter...I will seriously try to make the next one a little longer...:) Thanks for the reviews...Keep them coming!!!!_


	6. Chapter 6

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias..._

Sydney was in a state of shock. Her eyes were seeing her little sister dead on the ground and her mother with blood pouring out of her mouth. Her world was crumbling around her. When her mother fell, she saw someone that she didn't expect to see. She thought that it might have been some bigger evil after her life. Sydney didn't care anymore. She saw her father...Jack Bristow. Jack had stabbed his ex-wife. Not really surprising, but Sydney didn't think that her father would be on the other side of the knife. Sydney's eyes were wide with shock and tears were sliding out of her eyes soundlessly. She stared at her mother's now lifeless body and stayed there staring with eyes unmoving and emotionless. Jack looked from his dead ex-wife to his daughter's sister's motionless body with blood pooling around her. Then he looked at his unresponsive daughter with her sister's blood on her hands and face. Jack's eyes looked torn. He looked at his daughter again...her face was emotionless and she stared at the ground showing no signs of movement. "Syd..." Jack whispered, scared of his daughter's response. Sydney's response was nonexistent.

"Sydney...come on...We have to get out of here. They're going to figure out where we are, and they'll be here in a couple of minutes." Sydney didn't even blink.

"Sydney, come on. Right now." Jack raised his voice and walked toward Sydney. Sydney didn't flinch or make any move to tell that she heard him. Jack put his hand to his ear and said, "Boy scout...I think I'm going to have a little problem. Be patient. We're coming."

Jack was going to have to drag his daughter out of there. He wasn't about to let his daughter be shot like her sister. Jack grabbed the bag that was still clutched in Nadia's dead hand and took Sydney's hand. He drug her off of her feet and threw her over his shoulder. He set his eyes and ran out of the blown doorway. He set off to the rendezvous point to meet the rest of the team. He had left Nadia in the room. Everyone would be angry, but anything to keep his daughter alive.

_I finally got the chance to update...sorry for the wait. R&R please. --soccergirlmich--_


	7. Chapter 7

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias..._

There was a screaming pain inside of Irina Derevko's head and a burning that was spreading through her body. She messily wiped the blood from her mouth and struggled to pick herself up to crawl across the room. Tears of pain were streaming from her eyes. She had been through worse before. The pain of killing her youngest daughter was eating at her from the inside out. Now she had her only other daughter against her and her ex-husband had literally stabbed her in the back. She couldn't say that she didn't deserve it though. All of the things that she had put her family through and the many emotional roller coasters they, as a "family" had been through. It was all her fault. She collapsed on the blood-soaked concrete next to her youngest daughter. She saw the pain and shock that had collected in Nadia's expression. She looked at Nadia and stroked her hair gently. She really did love her. It was just part of the job...and she had ended her suffering. Nadia's facial expression was engraved in her mind and then Sydney's face swam back in Irina's mind. Her brows drew together in pain and longing and she held Nadia tightly against her chest.

Meanwhile, Jack jumped in the van and it sped out of sight. Vaughn was waiting inside with a worried look on his face. "Sydney!!" Vaughn yelled anxiously. Sydney's sight was fixed to one spot in the distance and she didn't act as if anyone were talking to her. Vaughn's brows drew together and he instinctively looked to Jack. Jack's eyes were apologetic and worried. "It was Nadia." Jack's voice cracked out of a whisper.

"What do you mean!? Where is she?" He said for the first time, noticing that she wasn't with them. His breathing became labored and he glanced sideways at his girlfriend.

Jack looked down as he spoke. "She was...shot...and killed by ... Irina." He whispered the last half. Vaughn gasped loudly and covered his face with his hands. Suddenly, Vaughn looked up and looked confused.

"You just left her there? Tell me what happened." Vaughn's voice was a mere whisper but his voice shook with every word.

"I heard a shot coming from a room. I followed the noise. I came up behind Irina with a gun smoking and I heard Sydney sobbing, pleading for Irina to kill her...I stabbed her from behind. Sydney was just sitting and staring into Nadia's face...I had to get her out of there. She was going to get shot if she didn't come with me. I had to carry her. She didn't listen to a word I said. I think that she is in shock. I had to leave her there. She was already dead and I had to make a decision based on all of the facts." There was a silence and they both looked at Sydney and sadness and empathy filled their expressions.

They didn't know what they were going to tell Weiss or Sloane. It was going to be very tough. Sydney was a whole other problem. They didn't know what to do about her. She wasn't responding to any of their voices or questions. Not even loud noises made her flinch or anything.

Slowly, Jack picked up Sydney and walked out of the van. With his head down, Vaughn followed suit with the bag in his hands. Weiss, Sloane, and Dixon were waiting patiently at the front door. Weiss and Sloane looked back at the van and were very confused. Dixon was fixed on Sydney in Jack's strong arms and then at Vaughn's depressed expression. Vaughn looked up and said quietly.

"She was killed by Irina. We had to leave her." He whispered this as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. He heard the gut-wrenching sobs and the thump as Eric's knees hit the ground. Slowly, his eyes spilled over with tears. He cried for the loss of Nadia. But also for the fact that Sydney, no matter how much time ever passed, would never ever be the same...

_I hope this is slightly longer than the last two. If not...I will try harder next time...R&R!!—soccergirlmich--_


	8. Chapter 8

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias..._

Slowly and cautiously, Vaughn made his way into Sydney's hospital room. The doctors had said that she was in deep shock. They didn't know when to expect her to come out of it. She still wouldn't talk to anyone. Tears flowed freely from his eyes as he saw Sydney's delicate form on the hospital bed. It was like she had given up on life. This was not like her. No matter what had happened in the past, she always came out of it. She knew how to handle things like this. Death was hard to everyone, but he didn't know why this was affecting her the way it was. When her fiancé died, it was definitely hard for her, but she got over it and she didn't give up. He couldn't even imagine what she saw in that room. Her own mother killing her sister. He wished intensely that she wouldn't have witnessed that. He pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed and he picked up her hand. He held it in his and rubbed small circles gently and looked into her empty eyes. Vaughn sat there for hours when finally someone came. Jack was standing in the doorway.

"Go home and get some rest. I'll take over for now." Jack's face was friendly and understanding. It was different, but Vaughn accepted it and stood. He kissed Sydney's forehead tenderly and whispered that he would be back. He waited for a response, and when he got none, he looked forlornly at Jack and left without another sound. Jack took Vaughn's place beside his daughter and looked into her empty eyes. She seemed to be staring at the ceiling, boring holes in the white-washed tiles. He sighed heavily and stroked the hair out of her face.

"Sweetie," he began in a whisper, "I am so sorry...I can't express how sorry I am that you had to see all of that. I wish I could take it all back. I don't know what I can do to make it better. Just looking at your face makes me die. The pain that I know you are feeling is tearing me up inside. I love you so much. I know how much Nadia meant to you. And then, for me to kill your mother in front of you...I didn't know what else to do. I was afraid she would grant you your wish. I thought that she would get tired of listening to you plead for her to end your life and just pull ...pull the trigger. You have to know that I did that because I love you. I don't want you to be in pain and I would do anything that is humanly possible to make your pain go away. ...I know that it doesn't seem like it sometimes...but I care about you more than anyone else does...I am your father...You are my only daughter...and I love you...I just wanted you to know that. I hope you are listening...I love you..."

Jack's eyes filled up with tears and he finally let them spill over. He had never done this in front of his daughter...but he didn't care anymore. He just wanted her back...to see her smiling face again. See the determination in her eyes when she set her mind to something that others tell her is impossible. He wanted his daughter back. He took his daughter's soft hand and cried. He cried for all of the things he had ever done that hurt her and every lie he ever told her. He wanted her to come back so that he could make everything right and so he could be with his beautiful daughter again.


	9. Chapter 9

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alias...it goes for all chapters from here forward... :)_

Sydney blinked away the tears that had been threatening to spill for days now. No one was here in the hospital room to see her break down...it would be fine. She told herself this so that she could stop bottling up her emotions. She had been in shock for a long while, but even when she had come out, she didn't let anyone know...She didn't want her family to worry anymore than they already were. Both Vaughn and her father had been by her side every moment they could. They both got called into a meeting and so they had to leave.

Every part of Sydney ached and her eyes burned. She couldn't believe it. Her only sister...gone...forever. And she was killed by their mother. Just thinking about it drove a huge lump in her throat and she itched to scream aloud. Anything that would help her. She wanted her sister back in her arms again and to see her smiling face. She kept on seeing her little sister's face and the blood pooling around her body. Then her mother's face flashed into her mind. Seeing her blank eyes as she was stabbed in the back. Even before, Irina didn't care that she was killing her daughter. In her mind, Sydney had always wanted to believe that whatever the situation, she would always put the lives of her daughters first. Apparently that didn't happen. She could still see the gun pointing idly to the floor and then like a flash, it, shooting a deathly bullet at Nadia.

These walls around her seemed as if they were closing in on her and it became hard to breathe. Her eyes felt heavy and the last thing she saw was the door opening in front of her.

Jack walked in to see his daughter's eyes half-way open. His heart was pounding and then her eyes closed once again. Jack looked down and hid his disappointment. He sighed and sat down heavily on the cold, hard seat that was provided by the hospital. He licked his lips and laid his hand on his daughter's. He was so tired. He hadn't slept in days. Even more, he was so stressed because of all that had been happening. The meeting that he and Vaughn had to go to was even more stressful because of the people who were there. Weiss and Sloane's faces were the hardest to look at. They couldn't even be made to speak. They were asked many questions, but they didn't answer a single one of them.

All of a sudden, Sydney's eyes fluttered open and she drew in a deep breath of air. Jack was in a panic. "Syd...are you ok?" Sydney looked around for a minute and began to rush, getting up and finding her clothes. Jack didn't understand.

"What are you doing? Get back in bed. You need to rest now." Sydney just ignored him and ran out of the door. Jack was left, stunned, standing in the middle of Sydney's hospital room.

When Sydney got to her house, she opened the door and threw her things inside. She slammed the door behind her and dead bolted it.

She collapsed on the floor and sobbed until she had no more tears to cry. She gritted her teeth and made herself get up and lay on her bed to get some rest. ...

_I am kind of having a hard time figuring out where I am going with this...so if you have any suggestions...feel free! R&R! –soccergirlmich--_


	10. Chapter 10

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

Jack Bristow sat at his desk with a sour look on his face. Ever since he was at Sydney's hospital room and had been astonished by her swift and angry actions he had been in the worst of moods. Vaughn had been so upset by all of the events in the past few days that he was almost impossible to have a conversation with. He was up all night trying to get Sydney to open her door and talk to him. All he or Jack ever got out of her was suppressed sobs coming from the other side of the door. Jack couldn't concentrate on anything when his only daughter was holed up in her apartment and her emotional state of mind was on the brink of collapsing. The cursor was blinking on his blank screen and he could hear all of the typing in the background. Everything around him was moving and he found it hard to focus on the report he was supposed to be writing. He didn't think that he could write anything and he didn't know how Vaughn was going to do anything. Vaughn was worse off.

Weiss had taken time of to mourn as did Sloane and the office was almost completely quiet. No one was excited about anything anymore. Depression filled the air around CIA headquarters. Dixon was the person who was step-in director. He was trying to hold himself together and was doing a better job at it than everyone else on the team.

Sydney was still in her room and was feeling as though she couldn't do it anymore...do anything anymore. The sheer monotony of this moment was killing her. She stared in the mirror at herself. It didn't look anything like her. She looked like some stranger. Her eyes were sunk into her head and the dark circles were getting darker by the second. Her eyes were bloodshot and teary. Her face was pale and there were scrapes and bruises on her face from the mission. Every time she thought about the mission, images of Nadia and her mother flashed through her mind. All of a sudden she heard these gut-wrenching sobs. Then she remembered...the sobs were coming from her. She got so used to crying lately, that she didn't even notice when she was or wasn't.

Vaughn was desperately trying to get Sydney to talk to him. He was at her house day and night to no avail. He couldn't get a single word out of her. Sydney vaguely heard him, but didn't care to answer or acknowledge him at all. Nadia filled her every thought. She felt depressed and she knew what was happening to her. It wasn't like she didn't want to be happy...she did. She just didn't want to do anything about what was happening to her. All of her energy had been drained and she didn't know how to fix this. Her sister had been here only a few days ago. She was laughing, smiling, and making jokes. If Sydney had been in a bad mood or had a bad day, she knew that she could go home and be with her sister. That would make everything better for just a while until she had to go out and deal with all of the evils in the world. It had been really hard to imagine herself even having a sister...or a family. She had only had her father when she was growing up. Her father was never around, so having a family period was a big stretch. Then, she found Nadia. She was so happy when she found out that she had a sister. She tried to tell herself to not get too close to Nadia because of all of the hurt in her past. She couldn't help but like her.

Meanwhile, Irina Derevko cried out in pain. A sound came from across the room and Irina jerked her attention to the broken down door. A man stood there and said, "Derevko...? Do you need any help?" The man took Irina by the arms and dragged her away from her dead daughter. He smiled a sinister smile and said, "Nice work. One down...one to go."


	11. Chapter 11

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

Irina squeezed her eyes tight as the man held a cloth to her wound. Beads of sweat ran down her face and her breathing was shallow. The man's voice filled her ears again. "Irina...you have got to sit still." His accent was strong and he looked into her eyes.

"Would you sit still if you had a knife stabbed into your back and someone was shoving a cloth against it, Sark?" Irina sighed and gritted her teeth against the pain. Her eyes were blazing with anger and agony. She was trying to hold her protests in, but it wasn't working very well. Sark injected a sedative into Irina's arm. Irina's eyes drooped low and her head dropped to her chest as she had fallen asleep. Sark sighed and laughed at his boss. This was his job: taking care of Irina and making sure that she didn't stray from her job. She had recently been given the hardest job of her life. She had been told to assassinate her two daughters. Irina's reaction had been really surprising. Her eyes widened and she swallowed. She couldn't believe that this had happened. Her only two daughters, and she had to kill them. Sark himself had been shocked. He had some idea of what Sydney meant to her and assumed the Nadia had meant the same. He wasn't sure how Irina was going to do this. She was supposed to kill both of them, but Jack had intervened and stabbed her. It was the worst possible outcome of her mission. She didn't kill both of her marks and she let Sydney go with the file. She would pay for her mistake.

Sydney sat on her couch staring blankly ahead. Once again, depression filled her thoughts and took over her emotions. She couldn't help it. She had gone through a lot of loss before and she had handled it. When her fiancée was killed by her sister's father she had almost died. It had taken her a long time to get over what had happened to him and the betrayal of SD-6. She had Will and Francie then. She didn't have them anymore. Of course, she still had Vaughn...she didn't want to be with anyone right now. She felt like isolating herself from everyone and everything. Sydney felt like exploding because all of the emotions running inside her.

Vaughn slid down on the floor outside Sydney's doorway. He laid his head on his hands and let out a sigh. He just wanted to be there for his girlfriend. He had no idea what to do for her if she didn't want help or to be with him. He could understand that she wanted to be alone. He himself had experienced loss and he knew how much that hurt. At one time, he thought he had lost Sydney and he fell off of the earth. He felt so helpless, what with not being able to do anything about how much Sydney was hurting. He turned to look longingly at Sydney's doorway. His eyes narrowed and he was determined to get Sydney to open the door. He stood up and set his eyes on his prize. He clenched his hands and swallowed nervously. Then he got up the courage to knock on the door.

Suddenly Sydney heard a knock on her door. She looked at her door with her bloodshot eyes and she turned her attention to the floor. She didn't know if she was ready to be around people yet. She had a hard time even thinking about people right now. She wasn't sure if she would ever feel like needing the presence of anyone if she kept on like she was. She thought long and hard about her decision. She didn't know if she could handle this right now. The knocking didn't stop and she knew what she had to do now.

Vaughn was not going to give up this time. He was sick and tired of waiting outside Sydney's house and knowing that she was hurting. Sydney rubbed her eyes and held back tears. She brought herself off of the ground and found that it was harder than she thought it was going to be to walk after the long period of depression. She looked at the door with no expression and stared at the doorknob. She lifted her hand and tried to restrain from shaking. The doorknob shook with her hand and she unlocked the door. She opened the door to face her boyfriend, ready to knock again.

_Here's another chapter! Hope you enjoy and review...—soccergirlmich--_


	12. Chapter 12

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

Vaughn stared straight at the door as he lifted his hand to knock again. Then he felt the door being opened and he lifted his eyes to see Sydney. He looked into her eyes and saw...nothing. There were no emotions and there were terrible dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and her shoulders were slumped where they used to be strong and confident. "Syd." Vaughn couldn't say anything else. Sydney turned around and walked away, leaving the door open. Vaughn's eyes were brimming with tears of sorrow. He looked down and walked in, closing the door and locking it behind him. He walked slowly to Sydney's bedroom, looking at the ground the whole way and saw her sitting on the right side of her bed staring straight ahead. Vaughn took a deep breath and walked in to sit next to her.

"Sydney. Look at me." Vaughn stared at her, waiting for a response. Sydney's eyes looked as if they were making a decision.

"I...can't." She whispered softly. The words were spoken as if they were stabbing her. Vaughn didn't understand. He looked at her again and reached for her hand. As he set his hand on hers, she winced and the tears began to drop.

"Why not...?" Vaughn was trying to take this slow. Sydney was trying with all of her might to keep the tears from spilling over. She felt as if her head would explode if she didn't let the tears fall. She didn't want to show all of her pain to anyone...not even Vaughn. She knew that all he wanted to do was to help her. She took a rattling breath and spoke.

"...Vaughn..." She couldn't say anything else. She broke down. Vaughn wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth. Sydney felt like if Vaughn let go of her that she would fall apart. He was holding all of the pieces together.

Irina woke up in a small bed with a large bandage that was wrapped around her mid-section. She blinked into the darkness, wondering where she was. She rubbed her eyes, hoping that it would help her see. Then she remembered what had happened. She hated herself. Why did this happen...how could she had let this happen? She sighed and closed her eyes. Suddenly, Sark came in and turned on the lights.

"Get up. You are ready to go." He handed her a knife and smiled. "I said one more to go. Now is the time."


	13. Chapter 13

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

Irina's eyes fell to the knife. In the silver blade, she saw her reflection. She saw her face and what she had become. Her eyes were filled with evil and all she wanted to do was break through the barrier that made her go on with the immoral and malevolent acts she had been asked to do. She didn't understand how she could have let this happen. It was her decision...wasn't it? If she felt so strongly against this mission, then why did she consent to it? She couldn't kill Sydney...she wouldn't. Her mind was made up. She would lead Sark to think that she would finish the job, and get away. Then, an idea came to her. If it came down to Sydney thinking that the only way to survive was to kill Irina...then so be it. That would be fair, she thought. I deserve that and much more...she was sure of that.

Sark was walking away and when he realized that Irina hadn't followed, he turned around and waited. "Come on Irina. Let's go." Irina looked up from her terrible reflection and set her eyes on the man in front of her. She nodded and took a step to follow him.

It had taken hours to cry out all of the tears in her. Sydney couldn't cry anymore, and she felt slightly better. Anger began to brew in her. She wanted revenge...but how could she do that if the person she wanted revenge on was already dead? This made her even more livid than before. Vaughn had been there for her all of this time and she felt ashamed for not letting him in sooner. She looked at him on her bed. He was so exhausted. He was asleep...she couldn't believe that she had left him outside all of that time and caused him to loose all of his energy. She intertwined her fingers in his and laid her head on his strong chest. She felt his chest slowly rise and fall. Sydney closed her eyes to sleep...finally.

Jack sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen once again. He had found himself doing this more often than not. All he could think about was Sydney. How could he help his daughter if she didn't want any. Suddenly, a box jumped onto his screen. His eyes narrowed and focused on the new picture on his once desolate, black screen. It read, "One new message." It was an instant message and it was on a secure line. He wondered fiercely who it could be.

In red, the words read: JACK...ARE YOU THERE? Jack cocked his head to the side and set his jaw. In blue, he replied: WHO IS THIS?

Red: YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS.

Blue: IRINA?

Red: I NEED TO WARN YOU ABOUT SOMETHING.

Blue: YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO.

Red: STOP BEING STUBBORN AND LISTEN TO ME. I HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO ...KILL SYDNEY. YOU HAVE TO WARN HER. I AM COMING.

Blue: WHAT?

Red: JUST DO IT. I HAVE A PLAN.

Blue: WAIT...WHY DID YOU KILL NADIA?

Red: THIS IS NOT THE TIME OR THE PLACE FOR THIS CONVERSATION. JUST MAKE SURE THAT SHE GET'S MY MESSAGE. I'M SURE THAT SHE THINKS I AM DEAD..

Blue: OK...

CONVERSATION DELETED...

Jack sighed. He knew that Sydney would go after Irina for revenge. This was not a good idea. He knew he had to tell her that Irina was alive. He had to make sure that she knew that her mother was coming after her to kill her. He slowly stood up and grabbed his coat. He had to tell Sydney.

_Thank you for your reviews...keep them coming. Reviews help me update faster. I hope you enjoy it! _

_--soccergirlmich--_


	14. Chapter 14

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

Knock, Knock, Knock...Jack stood outside of his daughter's house with a nervous scowl on his face. The wrinkles around his eyes grew as he waited for some sort of answer. A thought of Vaughn crossed his mind for a minute, but he made himself focus on the task at hand. Thoughts were running through his mind as he waited impatiently at the door. He knocked again as he sighed edgily. His eyes blazed with irritation and fear.

Meanwhile, in Sydney's house, Vaughn heard the knock and looked over to Sydney. She was lying on her bed looking up at the ceiling. Her eyes were wide and she was thinking intensely about whether she should go and see who it was. Letting Vaughn in had been the right decision. Maybe being around people was not going to be a bad thing. Thoughts of Nadia were always in her mind and she consciously pushed it away for the time being. She sat up very slowly and shook off the images of her dead sister frantically. She couldn't be distracted with this right now. She looked over to Vaughn. His eyes were concerned, caring, and curious. They were curious to see who was at the door. Sydney brushed the hair out of her face and rubbed her raw eyes. She then nodded and looked at her bedroom door. Vaughn read her expression and got up. He straightened his shirt and jeans and walked over to Sydney. He ran a hand through his dark hair and blinked while he held out his hand for her to take. Sydney was very reluctant and stared at her boyfriend's hand then up to his eyes. She swallowed and took it, standing up. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes; it had become a habit lately. She intertwined her fingers with Vaughn's and squeezed tight. He looked over to her and smiled sadly but with encouragement in his eyes.

Jack was becoming aggravated at Sydney for not opening up and so he spoke against the door, hoping she would hear him. "Sydney...Sweetie open up. It's dad." Sydney jerked her head up and looked at the door in fear. She shook her head and stopped advancing towards the door. Vaughn sighed and took both of her hands in his.

"Syd, it's alright. It's just your father; he is just worried about you." Sydney looked up into his eyes once again and felt a serene emotion filling the air around her. She took a deep breath and nodded as she walked to the door. Vaughn took the chance and opened the door with some haste. He was trying to do it before she changed her mind again. There, standing in the doorway, was Jack. His face was wrinkled in irritation and his eyes changed from vacant to surprise in only seconds. He hadn't expected to see Vaughn standing in the doorway. Vaughn's eyes were warning Jack of Sydney's condition and he gave a small smile and moved aside to let him in. As he moved, Jack got a glimpse of his daughter. What he saw made him look again.

Her hair was wild and her eyes were the worst. The dark circles below her eyes made them seem as if they were sunk into her head. The whites of her eyes were red and there was a shadow casting on her face. There was no smile in any of her facial features and Jack was taken aback. His daughter didn't look anything like herself. He took a breath and walked in, preparing himself for what he had to tell her.

"Sydney...I need to tell you something. Well, more than one thing." He paused and motioned for her and Vaughn to take a seat. Sydney and Vaughn sat on her couch and looked expectantly at Jack. Jack looked down and began to speak.

"Your mother is not dead. This is as much of a shock to me as it is to you, believe me. I got a message from her...a warning. She has been ordered to...to...kill you." He stopped to gauge Sydney's reaction. All he got was a blank stare and she blinked once. He drew his brows together and continued. "She told me to warn you that she was coming. I am sorry this had to happen now, but I had to warn you. I didn't know how else to break it to you." Sydney's expression was hard to read. There seemed to be anger in her eyes, but there was none in her other facial features.

"Alright. Where is she going to meet me then? I'm going to be ready when she gets here." When she spoke there was hate and fury dripping from every word. Vaughn shook his head; revenge was all she was thinking about now.

"I will be ready when she gets here and I will win...or die trying. I am going to avenge Nadia's death." She finished and stood up, walking hastily to her room and slammed the door.

"Jack...this was not a great time. She is angry now, and she will go after Irina. She's not going to be strategic about it either. She will be rash and reckless about it. Her life is in danger as well as her sanity. Jack...what are we going to do?"

Jack looked to his right and gritted his teeth. "I had to tell her...what else was I supposed to do? We will not let her go alone. We are going to have to get Dixon in on this. I will go talk to him and you make sure she stays here. I'll call you to fill you in after I get a plan together." Jack stood up and determination drove his every movement. He moved to the door and left after glancing one last time towards Sydney's door.

Jack left and Vaughn walked to Sydney's door to wait for her. "Sydney, come out here. Your father's gone now." Sydney opened the door and Vaughn gasped. She was dressed in all black with her hair pulled up in a sleek ponytail. There were knives on her belt and a big machine gun strapped on her shoulders. A pistol hung at her pants line and she had a hand trailing on it. There was hate and pure means of murder in every move she made. Vaughn had to stop this now.

_Here is another chapter...hope you enjoy! Read and review please!! --soccergirlmich--_


	15. Chapter 15

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

"Sydney...No. You can't leave. I don't think this is a good idea." Vaughn was frantically trying to get her to stay. Jack would kill him if he didn't hold up on his end. Sydney was making her way to her front door. "Sydney please stay." He had to beg her; it felt like the only thing he could do. He couldn't just let her leave.

"Vaughn...I don't want to hurt you so if you would please be kind enough to move out of my way." Her tone of voice was kind but very serious. She seemed more like herself now than he had seen in a long time. She had to get to Irina and get revenge. She knew better than to think that revenge would make her feel any better in the long run, but this was something that she had to do. Vaughn shook his head and looked at Sydney.

"Sydney, I promised Jack that I wouldn't let you go until he called me. Please. You know what he will do to me if I don't hold up on my end of the deal. Sydney could you just wait? We need to talk this out." Vaughn sounded very desperate and afraid. Sydney heard the plea in her boyfriend's voice and she knew exactly what would happen to him if Jack came back and found out that Vaughn just let her go.

"Vaughn, I need to go. You know that I do. What do you want to talk about; I don't think that there is anything more that needs discussion." She was getting irritated but she knew he was only trying to help her. Vaughn looked very uncomfortable and he motioned for her to sit down. Sydney took off most of her weapons and sat on her couch. Vaughn relaxed a little and swallowed.

"I want you to think about what you're doing before you go. You don't even know what you're running into. You are blind. This isn't the way to do it. Your father and I are not stupid enough to think that we can stop you, nor do we want to. She deserves anything that happens to her and more. We understand the feelings you are having right now. You just have to let us help you be as prepared as possible and you can have us as back up only if you need it. We will not interfere unless you are in danger, which I know will not happen. We don't want to lose you Syd. I will not lose you again Sydney." Vaughn's eyes were watering and he breathed in to stop his eyes from leaking. Sydney saw the emotions in her boyfriend's face and looked down. She could wait she supposed. It wasn't like Irina was going to be there any time soon. She could wait and at least hear her father's plan. She knew that she was being slightly reckless and she knew that it was really stupid to go in blind. The rage that consumed her when she found out that Irina was alive filled her to the point where she couldn't keep control of her actions. Sydney was trained to deal with this sort of information and deceit. Though she thought she would never have to deal with this sort of evil, Sydney knew that she was in control now.

Suddenly, they hear a bang on the door and a tranquilizer shot out and hit Vaughn in the neck. About three seconds later, Vaughn was out cold. Sydney was in shock and held out her machine gun to face the assailant. Hate filled her mind as she fought to control herself. She didn't know what she was going to do. She had to have power over her thoughts and feelings. Her eyes widened as she realized that being in control would not help her in this moment.

_This chapter is not as long as the other one, but I hope it does not take away from the story. Please review!! I love all of the reviews I have been getting from all of you! Thank you to all who read my story!_

_--soccergirlmich--_


	16. Chapter 16

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

Irina stood face to face with her daughter and pulled off her mask. She found it hard to mask her sorrow, but managed. Sydney was not at all surprised and held the machine gun tight. The menace in her movements were very clear to Irina and she tried to hold back her remorse. Sydney bent down, still keeping the gun on Irina, and checked to make sure that all Irina had shot was a tranquilizer dart. That was all she shot and so Sydney turned her full attention to Irina.

Irina swallowed nervously, but she knew what she had to do. She set down her tranquilizer gun and began to remove all of her weapons. She set down knives and guns on her daughter's floor. She stood up with no intention of fighting. Sydney didn't understand. Irina was supposed to be intent on killing her. She didn't pick up any weapon; she just stared at her daughter. Then Irina spoke. There was a hint of distress in her voice. "Sydney, I don't want to kill you. This is the only way to get away with not finishing this job. You have to kill me right now. This is what you want and I understand the way you feel about me. I killed your little sister and now you want to avenge her death." She lifted her arms and closed her eyes, ready to be shot. Sydney was in shock. She really thought that this was going to be a showdown. Sydney decided that she couldn't just shoot her if Irina wasn't armed. She was getting angry and tears built up in her eyes.

"Pick up the gun, now. Fight me." Irina opened her eyes and shook her head.

"I don't want to fight you. This is the only way. I'm sure you can get past that I am not fighting back. Nadia couldn't fight back and I killed her. I didn't even feel a thing." Irina had to be cruel to Sydney to get her angry enough to kill her. She could see the hate in her daughter's eyes. She knew that she had to do this to get her way. Sydney screamed and threw her gun aside. She ran at her mother and pushed her against the wall behind Irina. Tears were streaming from her daughter's eyes. It hurt Irina to see her like this.

"Shut up! Fight me now!" She screamed at Irina. Irina looked down and nodded. Sydney squeezed her eyes shut and screamed, throwing her mother against the wall beside them. Irina winced and pushed her daughter onto the floor. If Sydney wanted a fight, she would get one. Irina had control of the outcome of the fight. Sydney immediately got up and threw a punch at Irina's face. Her mother didn't even bother blocking. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Irina punched her daughter in the stomach only to be countered by a hard knee to her throat. Irina coughed loud, but she smiled inside. She had to make Sydney more angry.

"How do you suppose Nadia felt when I shot her?" Sydney yelled and threw a hook kick to her mother's face. Irina didn't see that one coming. The kick made her fall to the floor. Irina threw a successful kick to Sydney's face and elbowed her in the ribs. Sydney was doubled over but she recovered quickly. She grabbed her mother's throat and threw her head against a mirror on the wall. The mirror shattered and she was sure there were shards of glass in her mother's head. Sydney gritted her teeth and squeezed tighter onto Irina's throat. Irina could no longer breathe and was starting to see stars. Sydney's eyes were crazed and were blazing with revulsion. Irina had to move this along and so she picked up a shard of glass and cut it across Sydney's stomach. Sydney screamed in pain and she grabbed the shard and went to stab her mother. Then, right before she ended her mother's life, she saw something in Irina's eyes.

She saw victory and a smile. This is what she came for. She didn't want to kill Sydney, she wanted to get killed. Sydney stopped and staggered backwards. "You want me to kill you? This is not on your terms." Sydney was smarter than Irina gave her credit for.

"Sydney, come on. Finish this." She was breathing hard and clutching her throat. "I'm sorry. I had to kill Nadia. My boss...is very hard to deal with. The only thing I couldn't do was kill you. Please, end this." Sydney shook her head and walked backwards.

Sydney walked away and went to check on Vaughn. Vaughn was still out of it and lying on the floor. She put her hand on his head and bit her bottom lip. "I don't know what to do." She whispered this into his ear and wiped her eyes. She had no idea how to deal with this. She could not give in to her mother's plan. She knew how much she wanted to avenge Nadia's death, but she couldn't do it. Irina couldn't believe that this was happening. She had this all planned out and she thought it was flawless. Irina walked in on Sydney and she sat down on the couch with her.

"Sydney, what is wrong? I thought you wanted revenge." Sydney looked up from Vaughn and stood up.

"I do want revenge, but I can't give you this. I will never forgive you for this and I don't ever want to see you again. Get out of my house and face your boss if your not going to kill me. I don't care. If you don't want me dead, then please get out." Sydney was trying to keep her anger in. Irina didn't move and she blinked. "What do you want from me?" Sydney wanted this woman out of her house. She wanted to kill her mother.

"I want to not be involved with this and I want you to be safe. The people who I am working with want you dead." Sydney looked curiously at her mother.

"Why? Why do they want me dead?" Sydney asked.

"I can't answer that question." Irina's eyes were mysterious.

"Who is your boss?" Irina blinked and looked at Sydney. She hadn't expected that question. She couldn't tell her who her boss was. Sydney repeated her question. "Who is your boss?" Irina sighed and talked.

"I'll tell you if you kill me first." Irina stood up and handed her daughter a knife. Sydney backed up and shook her head.

"I will not kill you." Sydney was serious and she held out the knife, blade first, so Irina would take it. Irina stared at the knife and smiled slightly. She walked forward and impaled herself on the knife that Sydney was holding out. Sydney's eyes got wide and she let go of the knife as quickly as she could.

"What have you done!?" Sydney grabbed her mother and sat her down on the couch.

"Who do you work for? Why do they want me dead?"

_Sorry for the shortness of all of my chapters. I hope this is a little bit better. :)_

_--soccergirlmich--_


	17. Chapter 17

Swift as Death

Swift as Death

Sydney looked at her mother and saw the knife that had impaled her. She squeezed her eyes tight and took a deep breath. "Sydney...Find Sark." Irina then passed out from blood loss and there was nothing that Sydney could do to keep her mother alive. She felt so helpless and couldn't believe what was happening right in front of her. How could she have been so stupid? Why did she take the knife from her and why didn't she see it coming? It was so obvious and she didn't pick up on it. She was too focused on what was happening in that moment. She forgot to look ahead to see what Irina had planned. She bit her bottom lip and let a tear fall. As soon as she did, her eyes changed and she was tired of feeling sad and crying. Determination filled every thought and she knew what she was going to do. She would find Sark and hopefully that would lead her in the right direction of the people who wanted her dead. She looked longingly to Vaughn and wondered what he would do when he awoke. She contemplated whether to wait for him to awake and tell him or to just leave. She thought about how understanding he was and how he had always been there for her. Her heart lurched at the thought of hurting him by leaving without telling him. She didn't want to risk him or her father trying to stop her, but she couldn't bring herself to leave Vaughn like this without answers. She knew exactly what she would do now. She sat in between her dead mother and her unconscious boyfriend and waited slightly impatiently for the tranquilizer to wear off. She would tell Vaughn and hope that he would agree with her and join the journey to the truth.

...

Meanwhile, Jack waited impatiently for Marcus Dixon to come out of some meeting inside headquarters. He was tired of waiting and thought many times that if Dixon didn't hurry up that he would interrupt the meeting. He came very close to opening the door, when finally Dixon walked out and was faced with Jack. His eyebrows rose up and his eyes widened slightly before he went back to his usual blank face. Jack was the last person he expected to see on the other side of that door. He nodded toward Jack, sensing that he was needed for something. He followed Jack while putting down the folders he held in his hands and pushed the meeting out of his mind completely. Dixon followed him to his car and he didn't dare question Jack. He sensed that something was very wrong. Once in Jack's car, Jack turned the engine on and put the black car into drive. The engine revved and they were off. After they had been driving for a few minutes, Dixon decided to speak.

"What's going on?" Dixon's voice was slightly concerned and mostly professional. Jack's jaw was tight and his eyes narrowed to the road.

"Sydney." Jack stopped and Dixon sighed. Dixon knew it was something with Jack's daughter and his partner. He had always loved Sydney. He knew her so well from working with her in the field for many years. They had to get to know each other to be able to put their lives in each other's hands. They had grown close in the SD cell they were in with Nadia's father as their director. His partner's name always held emotions from all of the places he had been with her. Emotions that he felt many years back at SD-6 as the betrayal and he always considered her more like a sister and was very protective of her, though he knew what she was capable of as a field agent. He waited for Jack to elaborate, and when he didn't, Dixon looked up to see Jack's face. What he saw surprised him. Jack's facial expressions were limited. Sydney was the only person he had ever seen pull out new expressions. The expression that filled Jack's face now was hard to read. There was a mixture of indecision and anger, as well as sorrow and hurt. The lines around his eyes were defined and Dixon cleared his throat, clearly shocked at what he was seeing.

Jack finally continued, "Irina is alive and coming to kill Sydney like she killed Nadia." Jack waited for a few seconds for the first piece of information to sink in then sustained, "I went to Sydney's house to tell her...to warn her. At first she didn't let me in. When she did, I saw Vaughn." He paused, all the time looking at the road in front of him, then began again. "I told her and she was very angry. I cannot blame her...but I— He corrected himself, "_We_ need to stop her from being too rash. You know what is going to happen. She is not thinking straight. I know that you have worked with her for a long time and know exactly how she is going to approach this new information." Jack stopped and waited for Dixon's response.

Dixon was very loyal to his favorite and longest partner and he spoke, "Of course. I will help in any way you need me to. Whatever you need, I'm here." There was a hint of pride in Jack's eyes and then it was gone. He was back to his normal unreadable face. Dixon smiled inside and blinked. He noticed that they were heading toward Sydney's house and he popped his knuckles, preparing for the difficulties that lie ahead. He had no idea the surprises he would get when he got to Sydney's house...

_Finally, I got the chance to update...Please R&R and tell me what you think! –soccergirlmich--_


	18. Chapter 18

Swift as Death

Dixon sighed nervously and braced himself for whatever was in the house in front of him. He didn't want to see Sydney in trouble or struggling. He liked to see her as the strongest person he knew and knowing that she was in trouble or hurting made his blood boil.

...........

"Vaughn...we have to go. Come on." Sydney dragged Vaughn's sluggish body to the front door. As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Jack and Dixon. Sydney's heart sank. She knew that they would try to stop her. Her mind was going through all of the possibilities, but she found nothing to get out of talking to them.

"Sydney. Where are you going?" Sydney looked slightly guilty and tried to walk through her partner and her father. She could see their serious faces and the fact that she would not get by without telling them something. Sydney dragged Vaughn along and Dixon stopped her.

"Sydney, stop. You don't need to go after her. We can help." There was pure loyal intentions in his eyes and voice. Sydney looked down at the concrete and squeezed her eyes together.

"You're too late, Dixon. Dad." She held her bloody hands up to her father and pointed to her apartment, leading them to her door. They all followed her and she still drug Vaughn up with her. The whole way was silent with anticipation and fear. Sydney stopped when she got to her door and motioned for them to go first. As soon as her father and Dixon walked in, Sydney and Vaughn ran swiftly to the car outside. Sydney got in the drivers side and sped off once Vaughn had gotten in. The last thing she saw was her father and Dixon frowning at her. Once they were far enough away that they wouldn't catch up to her, Vaughn spoke.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"We are going to find Sark." Sydney's voice was very strong.

"Why would we go find trouble? Danger has no problem finding us." There was dread in his voice.

"Irina told me to find him. This is the only lead I have to finding the people who want me dead. I will not let them kill me and I will sure not sit around and wait for them to send someone else." Sydney glanced over to Vaughn with pain in her eyes. She didn't want to do this anymore. Behind her macho mask, there was a lot of pain and fear. Vaughn saw this and he intertwined his fingers with hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Sydney smiled slightly and sighed. This was the best part about her day. Vaughn could always make the very worst days a little better. If she at least had Vaughn, she would be alright.

"We will find him. Do you know where you're going?" Vaughn had a slight playful tone in his voice and Sydney grinned.

"Not really. But I figured that once we got pretty far away, we would call some of our contacts." She pulled her untraceable cell out of her pocket and handed it to Vaughn. His eyes changed from playful to determined and he started dialing. This was going to be a long ride, but Vaughn and Sydney would find Sark even if it killed them. And there was no guarantee that they wouldn't be killed. This was just a chance they were willing to take. It was either find the threat or wait for them to kill Sydney. There was no way Vaughn would let that happen to his love.

A few hours later and a lot of phone calls, Sydney's phone rang. Vaughn looked at the number and sighed. "Syd, it's your father." Sydney pursed her lips and contemplated what to do.

"Answer it. They can't trace it. My regular phone is off." Vaughn nodded.

"Hello?"

"Vaughn, where are you?" Jack's voice was hard and there was nothing pleasant about it.

"I'm sorry, Jack. Can't tell you that." It gave Vaughn a little enjoyment out of telling Jack this.

"Vaughn, I'm not kidding. Tell me where you are. What are you doing?" There was a long silence and Vaughn handed the phone over to Sydney.

"Hey, Dad. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." There was no fear in her voice at all.

"Sydney. Where are you going?" Jack's voice softened.

"Dad...I'm sorry. I don't want to put you in danger."

"Syd. I can help. So can Dixon." Jack waited in the silence. Sydney contemplated this offer. It was quite a good idea. The more people they had on their side, the faster they would find Sark.

"Okay, Dad. We need to find Sark. If you can help us find him, then we could use it. Call us if you find anything." Sydney's voice was thankful but all business. She hung up as soon as she was finished and kept driving further from the city, waiting for a call about the man who wanted her dead.

_Please read and review! Sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I got so stuck with this story. R&R!! –soccergirlmich--_


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